Technical lecture: Introduction to Partial Power Converters and Their Use in Energy Transition Applications
Partial Power Converters (PPC) are an emerging class of power conversion architectures that process only a fraction of the total power of the system, resulting in higher efficiency and power density while potentially reducing costs. Although the concept has existed for decades—most notably in doubly-fed induction generators used in early wind turbines—their potential in energy transition applications is only beginning to be fully recognized.
This presentation introduces the PPC concept and its evolution from traditional applications to new domains in renewable energy and electrification. It focuses on the implementation of PPCs in two-stage utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems. This technology enables precise maximum power point tracking (MPPT) while achieving efficiencies exceeding 99% and maintaining a remarkably flat efficiency curve across a wide operating range.
Beyond PV, the presentation explores how the PPC principle can be extended to a variety of energy transition applications, including high-power LED drivers, electric vehicle (EV) fast charging stations, green hydrogen production, and energy storage systems. Each case highlights how partial power processing can substantially increase efficiency and power density.
The talk concludes with an outlook on future directions and ongoing research in PPC topologies that can accelerate the electrification and decarbonization of modern energy systems.
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- Mekelweg 4
- Delft, Zuid-Holland
- Netherlands 2628 CD
- Room Number: LB 01.010 Snijderszaal
- Starts 26 October 2025 11:00 AM UTC
- Ends 07 November 2025 11:00 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Samir Kouro of Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa María
Introduction to Partial Power Converters and Their Use in Energy Transition Applications
Biography:
Dr. Samir Kouro, Associate Professor, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
Principal investigator, Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E)
Dr. Samir Kouro received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electronics engineering from the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria (UTFSM), Valparaíso, Chile, in 2004 and 2008, respectively. In 2007 he joined the Department of Electronic Engineering at UTFSM, where he is currently a full time academic. From 2009 to 2011 he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada. His research interests include power converter topologies, modulation and control for energy transition applications, such as renewable energy conversion systems (photovoltaic and wind), green hydrogen production, energy storage and automotive applications.
Dr. Kouro has directed over 45 R&D projects, coauthored 2 books, 15 book chapters, 7 patents, and over 250 refereed journal and conference papers. Since 2025 he is the Editor in Chief of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine. Dr. Kouro is an IEEE Fellow since 2025, received the 2025 Nagamori Award, the 2016 IEEE IES B. Bose Award, the 2015 IEEE IES D. Irwin Award, the 2012 IEEE PELS R. Bass Award, was included in The Clarivate Analytics 2018 Highly Cited Researcher List, and has received 6 best paper awards in IEEE journals in the years 2025, 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 and 2008.